{
  "id": 4265823,
  "title": "In 2020, four engineers started in a garage; now they repurpose EV batteries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/in-2020-four-engineers-started-in-a-garage-now-they-repurpose-ev",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-29T19:25:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/in-2020-four-engineers-started-moment-energy-in-a-british-columbia-garage-6-years-later-their-new-plant-is-repurposing-retired-ev-batteries-for-data-centres-and-hospitals/articleshow/133599552.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Six years after four university engineering graduates began experimenting with repurposed electric vehicle batteries in a Vancouver garage, their startup Moment Energy has opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The brand-new Megafactory 1 takes retired EV batteries that would otherwise end up in landfills and transforms them into large-scale energy storage systems. These systems are now being deployed for backup power and energy storage at data centers, hospitals, manufacturing plants, and remote microgrids across North America. The opening of the plant represents a significant milestone for a company that started as a university spin-out project. Initially, the team received seed funding of $3.5 million in late 2021, with additional support from Simon Fraser University's Coast Capital Venture Connection incubator. The company's technology extends the useful life of batteries, offering lower overall cycling costs for businesses that require reliable power. The plant officially became operational just six weeks after its announcement, and co-founder and CEO Edward Chiang expressed excitement about the potential of North America to re-onshore domestic manufacturing in weeks, rather than decades, thereby creating thousands of jobs and driving economic prosperity.",
  "summary": "Moment Energy has launched its most extensive second-life battery manufacturing plant, transforming used electric vehicle batteries into essential energy storage systems. This innovative facility aims to deliver backup power for various crucial facilities across North America. The company has successfully obtained considerable funding and safety certifications, while also planning to broaden its…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}